To Catch a Bullet...

[jdgabbard]

An article I found interesting. Check it out...


To Catch A Bullet

[Tn_River_Ratt]

Puts a new light on timing issues. Thanks for the read.

Ratt

[44man]

Good article and reinforces all I have posted for years about how fast a soft boolit can deform and how far they skid. It is why I believe in hard, well fitted boolits.
He fails about powder choice not having any effect however. Slow the pressure buildup with lead instead of shooting bullseye and such fast powders and you will reduce boolit damage.
Notice the skid marks on the two boolits from the lands. As long as the marks at the base are still bore size, it is OK and the seal is not lost. You must regulate initial chamber pressure for the velocity you want to shoot. It is why I tell you that the faster the powder, even though you just want low velocity, means you need harder boolits that fit perfect. The soft boolit that will "obturate" is always a failure.
I have always said a semi wadcutter has no guidance at the forcing cone and is the reason I can not get super accuracy with any of them.
Revolvers with zero turning play in the cylinder, even though line bored, etc, can have accuracy problems. Slight movement and a boolit that aligns at the forcing cone will always be more accurate.
Side to side timing issues can be fixed but not top to bottom issues. Line bore a revolver without a barrel in the frame and then install a barrel that might not be in line is a waste of labor. Then to lock up a cylinder so tight it can't align itself is just making it worse.

[Shiloh]

Puts a new light on timing issues. Thanks for the read.

Ratt

+1.

Shiloh

[303Guy]

Thanks for the interesting read jdgabbard.

44man, you have confirmed some of my 'theorizing'. (It's nice to know I got something right for a change!)

I too have been playing with a 'bullet catcher'. I call it my firing tube or 'test tube'. Mine will handle rifle loads but is still dangerous in that one must not cock the rifle before the muzzle is safely in the entry and the gun aligned. Here it is ...



Testing bullet performance at different velocity.



Going up in power (same cartridge)


Two-groove boolit test - note narrowness of 'groove'. That's due to driving face wear.


Same gun, different boolit, paper patched - note full width of 'groove'.


Straight sided boolit before...


... and after.


And all this in my shed!

[44man]

You have more fun then allowed!

[jdgabbard]

Interesting 303Man. You should do a write up on that boolit catch.

[Catshooter]

303Man,

Please! Write up some of your findings for the board.


Cat

[303Guy]

Me? Write? Wow!

Thanks folks! Mmmmm..... I am very poor at writing (and keeping records). I'll give it a try - it might take a while though. But the
'test tube' has been a lot of fun. With it I took my hornet from ... well ... a hornet to being a super-hornet that out-performs the K-hornet! I have estimated the velocity to be around 2700fps with a 55gr bullet. (Powder charges, loading tables bullet drop and comparison to a 223). That was fun! We would go out hunting feral goat and mine was the rifle that anchored them! I even dropped one with a Texas heart shot. (That was a mistake on my part as I thought it was an escaping wounded animal - it wasn't!)

Mmmmm.... !